February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mike Fitzpatrick
Limerick fought off the threat of the Banner County to reach New York’s Senior hurling final in which they will meet arch rivals Tipperary.
Entering the tie as severe underdogs, Clare knew only too well what they were up against from the moment the draw was made a few weeks back. They still had the sheer audacity to take an early four-point lead.
Darren Doherty, the Derryman who has proved such a threat to other teams this year, was given all the space he needed to slam home a goal for Clare in the first minute and, quickly followed by Clare’s superb midfielder John Kennedy’s point, Limerick were in the unusual position of trailing by a goal and a point.
Clare’s fairytale beginning was soon cast aside with Limerick’s top marksman Dave Simms hitting a point, followed by a well-executed goal from Niall Rigney.
A long distance effort from Limerick’s Aidan O’Connor increased the lead and points from Simms and Rigney soon upped the tempo of Limericks performance.
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Clare’s Kennedy singlehandedly reduced the lead to one point by hitting five consecutive efforts over the bar and it became increasingly obvious that Clare were not present simply to make up the numbers.
Veteran Limerick man Morgan Burns came in to score a goal and a point and, despite Clare’s Neil Hayes, Kennedy and Patrick Minogue all adding points, the expert marksmanship of Limerick’s Rigney produced the first hat trick of the day.
The game took on something of a see-saw effect where each time Limerick took on an air of invincibility, Clare shot back with a flurry of points and, at one stage in the second half, it looked as if Clare had it in them to grab a sensational victory. Thoughts like that, however, should not enter one’s head too optimistically when faced with the likes of Dave Simms and Niall Rigney. Both players increased their scoring toward the end of the game, and despite a late goal from Clare’s Minogue, it will be Limerick in the final.
Limerick: Finbarr Flood, Justin Daley, Tom Simms (0-1), Aidan O’Connor (0-1), Tom Canty, John Riordan, Eamonn Shields, James McSweeney, Brendan Cagney (0-1), Niall Rigney (3-6), Cathal Kenny (0-1), Dave Simms (0-7), Frank Carroll (0-1). Subs: Morgan Burns (1-1), Damian Hallissey.
Clare: Aidan O’Connor, Tony Burns, Noel McGovern, Seamus Pender, Sean Harvey, Brian Adams, Marty McGlade, John Kennedy (0-8), Eddie Flynn, Donal Moore, Niall Hayes (0-4), Patrick Minogue (1-3), Darren Doherty (1-0). Sub: Kevin Moore.